And another thing, yes we all have bad days but if he is as good as all these people are saying, wouldnt he be able to keep an even tone throughout the range of the instrument?
At 1.30 i cringe, i just ery strongly believe he ruined the piece
I am not posting this to stir things up, but I personally dislike this version.
I'm sure Underwood is an ok saxophonist, but what he does to the scaramouche is nothing far from terrible.
His tone is so empty, his vibrato does not help this issue, and his tone and articulation are all so wrong for this piece.
I know it may be his 'interpretation' of the piece, but I think I speak for everyone (apart from those that protect him for no apparent reason, as he clearly is not so amazing) when i say
First you say you're sure he's an ok saxophonist, then you say he's clearly not so amazing. I'll give you that his upper register in this performance seems a bit squaky and the piece overall seems like it was hastily prepared. However, we've all had bad days and performances that weren't up to our personal best. Underwood is human, after all. I'm not "protecting him for no reason", I just think that people need to realize what a genius he is before picking apart one sub-par performance.
Also see the post by saxmanmd below. Mr. Underwood prepared this performance in 3 days. Don't tell me that's not impressive. If that's not the mark of an amazing saxophonist, I don't know what is.
Yes, i said he was an ok sax player and also said he wasnt amazing, those two quotes in no way contradict each other. And in reference to learning it in 2 day...
Well its all very nice to say he prepared it in 3 days, but in reality that has to be untrue.
If he is a decent player, he would have played this piece years ago, or seeing as he teaches at a university he must have taught it to a student at some stage, therefore must have had to play it.
I finished my masters at UMD 6 years ago. During that time I had the privilege of studying with Dale. He is by far one of the greatest musicians and people I have ever met. I learned more in the 2 years I spent taking lessons from him than the 4 years I spent during my undergrad. I will give you that this is not his best performance. I can tell from the video it was taken at GMU.
These faculty recitals are done out of obligation and Dale probably only worked on this piece 3-4 days before he had to perform it. Can you perform at this level after only preparing a piece for 3-4 practice sessions. My guess would be no. Also, he can play all the other stuff too. I performed Desenclos, Dahl, and Ibert on my Masters recital and every week without working on it he proved he can play.
One last thing, be careful judging this man's ability on one performance. The body of his work speaks for how great he is. Its like saying Bret Farve is a bad QB just because he throws a pick. Doesn't make sense.
I admit, this is not my favorite performance, but Underwood and his accompanist do some very nice things here. Let's remember that this is a difficult piece, not a walk in the park.
Please, let us stop all of this harsh criticism and enjoy what the man has prepared for us. there could be better versions, and there could be worse ones.
you know what actually brazileira sounds disgusting because he's out of tune. he might be pushing his sound that way or he has no endurance either way, the opening and closing is a place to show off your sound and he isnt exectly doing that.
Just because he is Dale Underwood, doesn't make his performance great. Great Musicians with famous names still have to perform with quality. This is too fast and often quite harsh, not playful like it should be played.
very nice performance. Technically it was very good. during the first 30 seconds of the piece it seems like you did decrescendos when it should've been a crescendo and vice versa. Also I really liked your tone during the second movement but during the first It was a lot brighter/thinner during certain spots. Other that nice job.
Dale Underwood was the saxophone soloist for the President's Own US Navy Band for 30 years. He played for every president from Lyndon Johnson to Bill Clinton and has been organizing major saxophone events, teaching, and concertizing for decades. No one is putting this video up for pointers.
He is a very French saxophonist. Bright tone with a thick vibrato. The vibrato may be appropriate for this piece, because it is French, but I prefer a a little darker tone. Also, is it just me, or did he seem to attack the beginning of the Brazileira movement a little too much? With everything in mind though, a very good performance.
He plays nothing like the French would play it...I know Dale Underwood is and what he is done, but I find many parts of this vulgar and ugly. His vibrato verges on that you would use in jazz.
Please show me any of the top French players playing like this. J-Y Fourmeau, Claude Delangle, Christian Wirth, Vincent David, Daniel Gauthier, none play like this.
I have much respect for Underwood and all he has done but regardless of how long he has spent on this piece before performing it, parts are still quite vulgar. It's not controlled classy playing
I m from Russia. And My friend needs the score NOW... He s gonna take part in some contest of saxplayers and it suddenly turned out that Scaramouche is the necessary piece to play there - one of requirements. And we failed to find it by ourselves. Plese if you have, help! we have little time left.
Unlike wine..somethings don't get better with age! Listen to Dale's early stuff. He is a master at the instrument and to put him and Kenny G in the same sentence is a disgace! His technique is very sloppy on this video of the mvt. "Vif" It is a bear of a piece, but he has done better! He's done more for the classical sax than most and you can't argue that point!
very nicely done. rushed slightly a few parts of III, brazileira...just stuffed up the peak of the ascending thirds just after the first key change... but hey dont get me wrong its a tricky piece, cant play it perfect myself.
how about you stop whining saxtrane and just appreciate the music that others make? It's clear you dislike mr. underwood a lot but many of us posters enjoy his music. Perhaps you should try to make your point elsewhere. that was a cheap shot saxtrane btw and fyi, i did quite well on my SATs
So is yours. Where is the supposed video of you gone? American people taking masters in their video seems to like to diss other people's playing. Although I agree with you that this isn't my favorite version of this piece, I've heard a lot worse from other teachers.
I hope everyone realizes Dale Underwood is one of the top saxophone teachers and performer in the country, him and Frederick Hemke are my top two. So for anyone to basically have an opinion about him has to be better than him or Hemke in my book.
I had to play this for a recital my jr. year in college... the 1st movement is a beast! I'm not a huge fan of his technique, just a tad bit choppy, but he is obviously very talented and has a great classical tone.
lol, but kenny G is world famous, the other guys may be better, but none has the sucsess that Kenny G had/has...anyway, he's like old now, he needs to keep up with the times...
lol these comments are cracking me up. You guys are judging his sound and tone quality from a youtube video?! Granted, I do think that this video is definitely NOT his best performance and, yeah, it does sound a little sloppy, but he's capable of much more. If you want hear him at his "A game," listen to his Soliloquy CD. It's brilliant.
based on your comments, you truly don't understand why there is music in the first place. I would suggest you take a good hard look at why you are in music, especially if you ever consider teaching any aspect of music to anyone.
saxtrane, ur a moron, ur talking about the man who was the lead saxophone soloist for the navy band. rofl, post your video before u criticize great Professional saxophonists.
SaxTrane 03. I couldnt believe anyone would say that if he is fully educated. May be you should upload some of your Videos and let us judge. which school do you study?? would like to know which saxophonist is your teacher.
Then that clearly outlines what kind of musician you are. A poor one that just likes to talk flack and never put up. Stick to your jazz - leave the classical saxophone alone if you hate it that much.
This is not the best performance I ever heard by Dale who for your information is one of the finest classical players alive today. I listened to some of your work and you truly are a lightweight. It not likely but someday you may be able to actually contribute - until then, chill out, listen and try to stop sounding like a punk.
You make absolutely no sense at all. Where exactly did I say I hated classical saxophone? I spent 27 years in the Navy playing along side Dale and many other great musicians. All types of music, classical, jazz, Latin, funk. You, on the other hand are stuck in a watered down G-Mode. Consider another line of work.
Thanks for your comment. I don't know how you play but one thing for sure, you are very rude for the fact that you used the the S words...
There are many great saxophone players out there, but not that many artist. He is an artist. His music moves people. If we keep counting mistakes on one's performance, we can't enjoy the music, and we can't never be an artist.
SaxTrane03, I am sorry that you don't like it but I think you meant his tone is disgusting TO YOU, because I didn't think the way like you. AND he didn't present this in public, i did.
You should keep your mouth shut about what you don't know. Dale is one of the best-if not the best saxophonists in the world. I studied with Steve Mauk and was married to Dale. As Son Sinta sat in our home he was never more proud af a previous student and has always said so. You're a jealous Jackass!
Thanks for posting! Dale Underwood is a master. This is a rare chance to hear/see "Scaramouche" performed by solo alto sax & piano (there are a few recordings with Orchestra). And the entire work 'ta boot! Great!
You mean that in a good way or bad? I'd like to hear you do better, if you meant that in a bad way. I doubt you could, as well; unless you're Steven Mauk or Eugene Roussesau or Frederick Hemke.
And another thing, yes we all have bad days but if he is as good as all these people are saying, wouldnt he be able to keep an even tone throughout the range of the instrument?
At 1.30 i cringe, i just ery strongly believe he ruined the piece
Selmerftw 4 years ago
yeah, I cringed there too. that was pretty ugly.
janelso33 4 years ago
that he plainly butchers this beautiful piece.
Selmerftw 4 years ago
I am not posting this to stir things up, but I personally dislike this version.
I'm sure Underwood is an ok saxophonist, but what he does to the scaramouche is nothing far from terrible.
His tone is so empty, his vibrato does not help this issue, and his tone and articulation are all so wrong for this piece.
I know it may be his 'interpretation' of the piece, but I think I speak for everyone (apart from those that protect him for no apparent reason, as he clearly is not so amazing) when i say
Selmerftw 4 years ago
First you say you're sure he's an ok saxophonist, then you say he's clearly not so amazing. I'll give you that his upper register in this performance seems a bit squaky and the piece overall seems like it was hastily prepared. However, we've all had bad days and performances that weren't up to our personal best. Underwood is human, after all. I'm not "protecting him for no reason", I just think that people need to realize what a genius he is before picking apart one sub-par performance.
janelso33 4 years ago
Also see the post by saxmanmd below. Mr. Underwood prepared this performance in 3 days. Don't tell me that's not impressive. If that's not the mark of an amazing saxophonist, I don't know what is.
janelso33 4 years ago
Yes, i said he was an ok sax player and also said he wasnt amazing, those two quotes in no way contradict each other. And in reference to learning it in 2 day...
Well its all very nice to say he prepared it in 3 days, but in reality that has to be untrue.
If he is a decent player, he would have played this piece years ago, or seeing as he teaches at a university he must have taught it to a student at some stage, therefore must have had to play it.
I just cannot see any truth in his comment.
Selmerftw 4 years ago
Does anyone know what kind of horn, reed and mouthpiece Professor Underwood uses?
janelso33 4 years ago
Selmer of Paris Series II Horn, Winslow Lig and a Selmer C* mouthpiece that I think some work has been done to. Also #3 Vandoreen reeds (blue box)
saxmanmd 4 years ago
does anyone know if its easy to get orchestra music for this?
i might need some for a concerto.
Apathyband 4 years ago
I finished my masters at UMD 6 years ago. During that time I had the privilege of studying with Dale. He is by far one of the greatest musicians and people I have ever met. I learned more in the 2 years I spent taking lessons from him than the 4 years I spent during my undergrad. I will give you that this is not his best performance. I can tell from the video it was taken at GMU.
saxmanmd 4 years ago
These faculty recitals are done out of obligation and Dale probably only worked on this piece 3-4 days before he had to perform it. Can you perform at this level after only preparing a piece for 3-4 practice sessions. My guess would be no. Also, he can play all the other stuff too. I performed Desenclos, Dahl, and Ibert on my Masters recital and every week without working on it he proved he can play.
saxmanmd 4 years ago
3-4 days only? Wow. But wasn't this piece written specifically for Professor Underwood? (I might be confusing it with another piece).
janelso33 4 years ago
One last thing, be careful judging this man's ability on one performance. The body of his work speaks for how great he is. Its like saying Bret Farve is a bad QB just because he throws a pick. Doesn't make sense.
saxmanmd 4 years ago
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SaxTrane03 4 years ago
I admit, this is not my favorite performance, but Underwood and his accompanist do some very nice things here. Let's remember that this is a difficult piece, not a walk in the park.
wcgrr 4 years ago
Please, let us stop all of this harsh criticism and enjoy what the man has prepared for us. there could be better versions, and there could be worse ones.
ngusxphn 4 years ago
you know what actually brazileira sounds disgusting because he's out of tune. he might be pushing his sound that way or he has no endurance either way, the opening and closing is a place to show off your sound and he isnt exectly doing that.
bballandnsaxaphone13 4 years ago
btw...I agree with everything SaxTrane03 has said.
counce1 4 years ago
Just because he is Dale Underwood, doesn't make his performance great. Great Musicians with famous names still have to perform with quality. This is too fast and often quite harsh, not playful like it should be played.
counce1 4 years ago
Does anyone here know who Dale Underwood is? I'm sorry but I find it hard to believe anyone on here has the right to critique him.
anubisjazz 4 years ago
You're correct. Instead of attempting to critique, all should be trying to learn as much as they can from these videos.
saxophoney 4 years ago
very nice performance. Technically it was very good. during the first 30 seconds of the piece it seems like you did decrescendos when it should've been a crescendo and vice versa. Also I really liked your tone during the second movement but during the first It was a lot brighter/thinner during certain spots. Other that nice job.
7heRollzRoyce 4 years ago
Dale Underwood was the saxophone soloist for the President's Own US Navy Band for 30 years. He played for every president from Lyndon Johnson to Bill Clinton and has been organizing major saxophone events, teaching, and concertizing for decades. No one is putting this video up for pointers.
thejoyofsax 4 years ago
i played brizileira last year at solo and ensemble but im only 14 so it wasnt near as good. but i played it pretty well i guess. sounds great!
bballandnsaxaphone13 4 years ago
He is a very French saxophonist. Bright tone with a thick vibrato. The vibrato may be appropriate for this piece, because it is French, but I prefer a a little darker tone. Also, is it just me, or did he seem to attack the beginning of the Brazileira movement a little too much? With everything in mind though, a very good performance.
adbat2009 4 years ago
He plays nothing like the French would play it...I know Dale Underwood is and what he is done, but I find many parts of this vulgar and ugly. His vibrato verges on that you would use in jazz.
brecker5555 4 years ago
Please show me any of the top French players playing like this. J-Y Fourmeau, Claude Delangle, Christian Wirth, Vincent David, Daniel Gauthier, none play like this.
I have much respect for Underwood and all he has done but regardless of how long he has spent on this piece before performing it, parts are still quite vulgar. It's not controlled classy playing
brecker5555 4 years ago
Teil 2 und 3 musste ich auf Examen spielen. Teil 3 war sehr anspruchsvoll, ist aber ein sehr schönes Stück ♥
TheMPKev 4 years ago
I need the Score. Please! I need it!
Mariakhin 4 years ago
Scaramouche is available at Sheetmusicplus dot com for $15. And I love Prof. Underwood's vibrato. Its a great "French" sound, I think.
saxophoney 4 years ago
I m from Russia. And My friend needs the score NOW... He s gonna take part in some contest of saxplayers and it suddenly turned out that Scaramouche is the necessary piece to play there - one of requirements. And we failed to find it by ourselves. Plese if you have, help! we have little time left.
Mariakhin 4 years ago
Send saxophoney a message through YouTube messaging and I'll see if I can help my Russian friend.
saxophoney 4 years ago
good technique but i don't like the vibrato. i like very much this piece. bravo the saxophonist!!!
johanna33560 4 years ago
Not bad technique but I don't really like his tone all to much.
Saxace 4 years ago
sounds good to me!
SelmerElmer 4 years ago
Unlike wine..somethings don't get better with age! Listen to Dale's early stuff. He is a master at the instrument and to put him and Kenny G in the same sentence is a disgace! His technique is very sloppy on this video of the mvt. "Vif" It is a bear of a piece, but he has done better! He's done more for the classical sax than most and you can't argue that point!
USAFSAX 4 years ago
very nicely done. rushed slightly a few parts of III, brazileira...just stuffed up the peak of the ascending thirds just after the first key change... but hey dont get me wrong its a tricky piece, cant play it perfect myself.
top job of it aye, superb saxophonist
slothcrab 4 years ago
SaxTrane..you are a rude JERK..and yes Mr Underwood is famous worldwide, he has recently toured in Europe, where have you been huh?
teddyunder 4 years ago
I agree with saxtrane.
demolisher2000 4 years ago
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SaxTrane03 4 years ago
how about you stop whining saxtrane and just appreciate the music that others make? It's clear you dislike mr. underwood a lot but many of us posters enjoy his music. Perhaps you should try to make your point elsewhere. that was a cheap shot saxtrane btw and fyi, i did quite well on my SATs
liangzhang89 4 years ago
So is yours. Where is the supposed video of you gone? American people taking masters in their video seems to like to diss other people's playing. Although I agree with you that this isn't my favorite version of this piece, I've heard a lot worse from other teachers.
MonoRec88 4 years ago
their video = USA, Don't understand why I wrote that so wrong.
MonoRec88 4 years ago
that was very good. 5 stars
Altissimo15 4 years ago
I hope everyone realizes Dale Underwood is one of the top saxophone teachers and performer in the country, him and Frederick Hemke are my top two. So for anyone to basically have an opinion about him has to be better than him or Hemke in my book.
YsaxAmanS62 4 years ago
what about Russell Peterson, he teaches saxophone and bassoon at Concordia Moorhead.
Altissimo15 4 years ago
Comment removed
SaxTrane03 4 years ago
haha some of u guys are fools if u think dale underwood is a bad saxophonist. Listen to soliloquy and his fantasia. idiots.
liangzhang89 4 years ago
I had to play this for a recital my jr. year in college... the 1st movement is a beast! I'm not a huge fan of his technique, just a tad bit choppy, but he is obviously very talented and has a great classical tone.
well done, keep up the good work!
wightboi12 4 years ago
lol, but kenny G is world famous, the other guys may be better, but none has the sucsess that Kenny G had/has...anyway, he's like old now, he needs to keep up with the times...
Shadowswiper 4 years ago
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SaxTrane03 4 years ago
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SaxTrane03 4 years ago
playing skill is not demonstrated by the difficulty of the piece, but by how you choose to play the music.
Shadowswiper 4 years ago
I want to see your video playing better than dale underwood does. And you cant base sound off of a you tube video you ass
Ribster87 4 years ago
wow some people are being really mean about all this!! does SaxTrane03 have somethin against the guy or what?! jeez... well i liked it!
annekebannekeboo 4 years ago
lol these comments are cracking me up. You guys are judging his sound and tone quality from a youtube video?! Granted, I do think that this video is definitely NOT his best performance and, yeah, it does sound a little sloppy, but he's capable of much more. If you want hear him at his "A game," listen to his Soliloquy CD. It's brilliant.
jzer21 4 years ago
kenny g is crap. dave koz is yo man
chanman486 4 years ago
Comment removed
SaxTrane03 4 years ago
LOL! So true
JergenBerger 4 years ago
based on your comments, you truly don't understand why there is music in the first place. I would suggest you take a good hard look at why you are in music, especially if you ever consider teaching any aspect of music to anyone.
ngusxphn 4 years ago
Kenny G is to jazz? LOL kenny g is a f****** joke to any serious jazz musician. underwood is amazing but kenny is a joke with his smooth crap
liangzhang89 4 years ago
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SaxTrane03 4 years ago
So where's the video buddy? Get over yourself....Dale rocks and you are a jealous SOB.
jglsd1 4 years ago
saxtrane, ur a moron, ur talking about the man who was the lead saxophone soloist for the navy band. rofl, post your video before u criticize great Professional saxophonists.
liangzhang89 4 years ago
there is a thing called constructive criticism.
tonkythewonky 4 years ago
Just forward the whole thing to your teacher's E-mail. Let him judge.
TimothySun 4 years ago
SaxTrane 03. I couldnt believe anyone would say that if he is fully educated. May be you should upload some of your Videos and let us judge. which school do you study?? would like to know which saxophonist is your teacher.
TimothySun 4 years ago
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SaxTrane03 4 years ago
Different Class.
TimothySun 4 years ago
You do realize that smith wrote the fantasia For dale underwood right?
liangzhang89 4 years ago
Comment removed
SaxTrane03 4 years ago
You must realize there is no more analogies section to the SAT's
Saxace 4 years ago
Comment removed
SaxTrane03 4 years ago
Then that clearly outlines what kind of musician you are. A poor one that just likes to talk flack and never put up. Stick to your jazz - leave the classical saxophone alone if you hate it that much.
JPSaxMan 4 years ago
This is not the best performance I ever heard by Dale who for your information is one of the finest classical players alive today. I listened to some of your work and you truly are a lightweight. It not likely but someday you may be able to actually contribute - until then, chill out, listen and try to stop sounding like a punk.
mikethesax 4 years ago
I assume this was in response to SaxTrane, and not me. I certainly was standing up for Dr. Underwood, in case you weren't aware.
JPSaxMan 4 years ago
Like I said, shut up and practice.
mikethesax 4 years ago
You make absolutely no sense at all. Where exactly did I say I hated classical saxophone? I spent 27 years in the Navy playing along side Dale and many other great musicians. All types of music, classical, jazz, Latin, funk. You, on the other hand are stuck in a watered down G-Mode. Consider another line of work.
mikethesax 4 years ago
I was replying to SaxTrane...I didn't say you hated classical saxophone. I think you misread my comments, sir.
JPSaxMan 4 years ago
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SaxTrane03 4 years ago
沒有的禮貌SaxTrane03: May you have a nice life.
autaktak 4 years ago
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SaxTrane03 4 years ago
Comments are good, though you are very rude. Anyway, I hope you have a bright future. Have a good life.
autaktak 4 years ago
He sucks!
His tone is grap it sounds like shit! And his technical ability is also bad! A lot of mistakes...
The intonation and musical understanding are good.
If I was 19 I played it better than he!
moppedhacker 4 years ago
Thanks for your comment. I don't know how you play but one thing for sure, you are very rude for the fact that you used the the S words...
There are many great saxophone players out there, but not that many artist. He is an artist. His music moves people. If we keep counting mistakes on one's performance, we can't enjoy the music, and we can't never be an artist.
autaktak 4 years ago
SaxTrane03: Based on your drivel, I'd venture to guess that you're not long out of high school...dude.
saxophoney 4 years ago
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SaxTrane03 4 years ago
SaxTrane03, I am sorry that you don't like it but I think you meant his tone is disgusting TO YOU, because I didn't think the way like you. AND he didn't present this in public, i did.
autaktak 4 years ago
Comment removed
SaxTrane03 4 years ago
You should keep your mouth shut about what you don't know. Dale is one of the best-if not the best saxophonists in the world. I studied with Steve Mauk and was married to Dale. As Son Sinta sat in our home he was never more proud af a previous student and has always said so. You're a jealous Jackass!
gateretse 4 years ago
I agree totally.
xagent123123 4 years ago
All I can say is, WOW. Hehe I've only been playing the saxophone for maybe 6 months now, and I'm no where near that. He's a fantastic saxophonist. :)
DJYankees 4 years ago
Thanks for posting! Dale Underwood is a master. This is a rare chance to hear/see "Scaramouche" performed by solo alto sax & piano (there are a few recordings with Orchestra). And the entire work 'ta boot! Great!
saxophoney 4 years ago
I'm totally playing this song. =)
tonkythewonky 4 years ago
that was in a good way.. can see how u picked it up wrong
padsax1 4 years ago
shit.
padsax1 4 years ago
You mean that in a good way or bad? I'd like to hear you do better, if you meant that in a bad way. I doubt you could, as well; unless you're Steven Mauk or Eugene Roussesau or Frederick Hemke.
JPSaxMan 4 years ago
oh...I study with Dale too.
autaktak 4 years ago
Dale is the man! I am lucky to have him as a teacher.
saxman02 4 years ago
I mean I cannot
autaktak 4 years ago
Awesome!!!!
saxpete 4 years ago
I can understand wht u wrote, but thanks anyway
autaktak 4 years ago
To Wrzecio tak gra, mój Pawełek Zielony:P Awesome!
mkrol42 4 years ago